Product Overview
Mexican Water Lily (Nymphaea mexicana) Half-Hardy
Mexicana is a small to medium waterlily species with yellow blooms that stand out of the water. It is a US Native, primarily along the SE states from Texas to Florida.
Mexicana is famous for being the parent plant contributing its yellow genes to all hardy waterlilies with yellow, peach, orange, and changeable colors, plus several considered creamy white or orengy red. Any hardy waterlily with any of these various color blooms has Mexicana to thank for its color!
Mexicana is free blooming and about as dark a yellow as you can find, plus the blooms stand high out of the water considering its small size. because it is a species and not a cultivar, there is some genetic variation from plant to plant.
Mexicana is only hardy down to about Zone 7, and needs some warmth in summer to do well. It is a very fast and prolific grower, multiplying rapidly from long runners--much faster than fully hardy waterlilies. For this reason we recommend that Mexicana be planted in pots, not a soil bottom pond, and never released into a natural water feature (unless of course Mexicana is native to your area!).
Not legal in California.
SIZE: Small to Medium (2-4' Spread), but spreads rapidly if not in a pot
PLANTING CONTAINER: We recommend a 12.5" x 7" or 15" x 7" fabric pot. Click on the link to read about why fabric pots work better!
FERTILIZING: For best health and growth, and especially for maximizing the size and number of blooms, we recommend fertilizing waterlilies regularly. Use Pondtabbs 20 count, 60 count, or 300 count for fast release, or Aquascape 6 count or 12 count capsules for slow release (once a year) fertilizing. Aquascape is preferred for low maintenance, but Pondtabbs are useful in Spring when Aquascape is slow to start in low temperatures. Pondtabbs are also useful for a quick extra nutrient push for extra bloom, and for mid-summer fertilizing of a new plant (we don't recommend using slow release fertilizer in mid-summer or later in cold climates, as plants should run out of fertilizer at the end of the year to encourage dormancy in cold climates).
LIGHT REQUIREMENTS: Full sun to partial shade; the more sun, the more bloom
WATER DEPTH: 6" TO 36" (Maximum water depth is for mature water lilies)
USDA HARDINESS ZONES: 7-11
Water Lilies are shipped bare root and will require planting upon arrival. For in depth planting instructions visit Hardy Waterlily Planting Instructions
For information on using plants for pond filtration, please read our blog on this topic!
